Entertaining Ideas

Whether your party is spur-of-the-moment or planned in advance, a party tray can be the perfect solution for your entertaining needs. Try these easy party tray tips and ideas at your next celebration. Dip Tray Chips and crackers are great for dipping. But try shaking it up a little with celery and carrot sticks, raw green beans, squash slices and broccoli florets. Appetizer Tray With more guests, comes more variety. Plan for an assortment and ask guests to bring their favorite bite-sized dishes for a potluck style tray. For eight or more people, serve four different meats and cheeses, pastries or sandwiches. For fewer than eight people, one or two varieties will work. Cheese Trays When planning a cheese tray, combine mild and sharp flavors such as cheddar, Havarti and Muenster. Mellow and spicy meat, like smoked turkey and peppered roast beef, make a great pair. You can also combine sweet and tart flavors like bagels and Danishes. Do the same for spreads by including a standard mayonnaise as well as hot mustard or sweet relish. Fruit Trays Who can resist fresh fruits? Go exotic with a tray of pineapple, guavas and kiwi or stick with crowd-pleasing favorites like strawberries, grapes and watermelon. Add yogurt, caramel or melted chocolate as dip options. Dessert Trays From cookies to brownies, make dessert a breeze with a wide selection of dessert trays. You can bake these bite-sized goodies or take them home from many grocery story bakerys. Planning for a Crowd? The followign chart will help with how much you will need depending on the amout of the people that are attending: